West Brush Creek

Overview

RT Distance: from TH marker 5 Miles
from West Brush Creek/Pearl Pass junction 20 Miles
This route provides easy access up Teocalli Mountain. If you have a standard clearance vehicle with 4WD or maybe even all-wheel-drive you can drive up to the Teocalli Mountain trailhead, but if you have a passenger car you must park 5 miles bellow at the West Brush Creek/Pearl Pass junction at your day will be significantly longer. Believe it or not, you can mountain bike until you are about half a mile from the summit.

Getting There

See the main Teocalli Mountain page.

If driving up West Brush Creek to the trailhead, I suggest parking at the "Caution" sign before the bushes because the road is pretty washed out after that which might pose as dangerous to some people. It is .4 miles before the actual trailhead.

Route Description

Once you arrive at the trailhead sign for Teocalli Mountain and Teocalli Ridge tr Jct, hike 1 1/4 miles to a trail junction. To the left of the sign is your route. Do not take the trail in front of the sign as this is the Teocalli Ridge trail. Now you will hike up a fairly good trail through the trees and up steep tundra. Once you come across some bushes, the trail seems to loose itself until you get to where the rocks start. Look for a carn that is just below the sheer cliff at the top of the tundra. Once at this cliff, follow the remaining tundra up to the left. If you stay to the left you will be guided by carns until the summit comes into view. From this point on there is no one trail to the top so hike along the ridge to the summit. Make sure you take the same way down as you did going up to avoid getting caught in class 4 terrain.

Essential Gear

A good pair of legs, food, water, sunscreen, and your good. Start early!

External Links

Teocalli Mountain trail on Gunnison National Forest website

Images

View West Brush Creek Image Gallery - 3 Images